Drakenaer
The Drakenaer are a race of draconic humanoids. Though not native to Sundry itself, several of the Warriors of Twilight and Madness are of this race. They are known to be summoned from at least two worlds, with more known about the Drakenaer of Calladan than those of Drakin. Anatomy Describing the Drakenaer as a whole is somewhat difficult, oweing to the varied appearance of the few individuals present on Sundry. Calderone Hale, a Drakenaer of Calladan, explained that in his world, Drakenaer comprise several tribes of varying appearances and abilities. Each tribe is specialised for a different kind of lifestyle, and generally occupy different habitats. At least some degree of inter-breeding is possible between these tribes; however, political events and distance make this a largely uncommon occurrence in his home. Drakenaer are generally taller than humans, with the average male standing at approximately 2 metres tall, with a 95 percent range of 180-215cm. Females are approximately 15cm shorter than average compared to males. Drakenaer are built more stockily than humans, though their body mass is largely muscular. Despite this, most Drakenaer do not weigh as much as would be expected from their build. It is possible that their bones may be hollow like a bird's to facilitate flight; however, it has not been possible to investigate this as all requests for donation of Drakenaer bodies to science after death have been met with suspicion, adamant refusals, threats of violence, actual violence, attempts to murder the enquirer and/or icy glares. The most striking feature of the Drakenaer are their wings. Wingspan varies, but is typically 1.5x the height of the Drakenaer. Despite appearances, their wings are not akin to that of bats, being constructed of a thicker, leathery membrane rather than thin skin. Musculature is present in some parts of the wing to give it structure during flight or gliding. When not in use, the wings can be folded against the body neatly. Drakenaer are scaled, with no apparent restrictions on their colouration. These scales are made of keratin and resemble that of snakes, forming a thin, overlapping layer over the epidermis. Scaling is thicker and overlies bony plates on their feet, and sparser on the face and hands. Their function is mostly protective. Draken, a Starlit Drakenaer, also used movement of his scales in order to generate startling changes in colour and iridescence, presumably as a method of communication. Hale was able to move his scales as well, albeit with less control; this may be an adaptation to retain or lose warmth and moisture, once again similarly to snakes. Drakenaer facial features are slightly flatter and sharper than a human's. Eyes are narrower and slanted, with a greater variety of iris colour. Drakenaer ears are pointed and resemble their wings in shape and material. Hands are largely human-like, albeit tipped with sharp claws. Their dexterity is somewhat less than humans. Their feet are markedly more reptilian, with three forward facing toes and one backward, all tipped with large claws. These are well-adapted for scaling rough terrain, and Drakenaer are never seen to wear shoes. Finally, Drakenaer possess a scaled, muscular tail. This resembles a lizard's tail, tapering to a point. The length varies, but is usually equal to half to two-thirds of the Drakenaer's height. Physiology Despite their reptilian appearance, Drakenaer appear to be endothermic. Drakenaer are generally active during daylight hours, though their eyesight at night appears to be somewhat better than human night vision. Their hearing is superb, as individual movement of each ear allows a Drakenaer to better localise sound. All known Drakenaer individuals in Sundry possess at least some magical ability, though this may be in part due to inherent bias of the Warrior summoning system towards strong combatants. Magic appears to be hereditary: Hale's magic is tied only to his family line, and he has hesitantly explained some of the Drakenaer beliefs about their magic arising from god-like draconic ancestors. Behaviour Drakenaer are bipedal when standing at rest, but readily swap to four limbs when climbing (which they excel at). On land, they are somewhat slower and more ponderous than humans. The tail is used as a balancing aid when standing or walking. Drakenaer exert a good deal of control over it (albeit not to the degree of completing fine manual tasks), allowing the tail to be used as a weapon, a climbing aid and for communication. Aside from facial expressions, Drakenaer non-verbal communication incorporates movements of the tail, wings, ears and scales. Most Drakenaer are not capable of true powered flight. Their wings are used for gliding: either from a height, or with the assistance of a run-up against a headwind. Extensive vertical lift is possible only with a strong updraft. As Drakenaer wingspan to bodyweight ratio is much smaller compared to birds and bats, and their form is less aerodynamic, we theorise that there is some magical component to their flying ability. This appears to be used unconsciously, as neither Hale not Draken are aware of using magic to glide. Tribes In Calladan, several Drakenaer tribes exist, distinguished by both physiognomy and culture. As not all are represented by Warriors in Sundry, we have had to rely on descriptions given by Hale and Draken. Ornamented: Have scales in shades of blue to deep purple, with a circular pattern of white or black scales on their chests. Ornamented Drakenaer live in mountainous regions and are more resistant to the cold than other tribes. *'Example': Calderone Hale *'Comments': ::Hale: "As far as I'm aware, my village is the only place where Ornamented Drakenaer still live. There may be a few isolated hamlets elsewhere in the mountain range. ::Draken: "They kind of keep to themselves, even the ones fleeing because of the Humes. Hale's the first one I've actually talked to." Starlit: Marked by extremely colourful, iridescent scales. They have more control over scale movements than other tribes. Scales have an opalescent sheen. *'Example:' Draken Silverius *'Comments': ::Draken: "The most superior tribe, of course." ::Hale: "I don't think there are that many left of them...they were rather easy to hunt." Nocturne: A nocturnally active tribe. They are somewhat smaller than other Drakenaer, but are known to be fierce hunters and warriors. Dark scales predominate, whilst more lightly scaled areas are white. *'Example:' Ruriko Zawati *'Comments': ::Hale: "Parents in my village use the Nocturne as a scary figure in tales to frighten children. I've never met one personally, but they have a reputation for vicious-" ::Draken: "They're crazy. They're all crazy. Stay away." ::Note: having encountered Ruriko, LumSoc concurs with this sentiment. Noir: *'Example:' None known *'Comments': ::Hale: "I think they're the most common tribe, even when described in the ancient texts. The couriers and traders from my village met many of them on their journeys. A lot of them live in the Hume capital now...though not by choice." ::Draken: "They're so boring. Just like Kayle. BORING." Crimson: A fiercely territorial and widespread tribe that sport scales of red, orange, and yellow. They live in multiple settlements around the western Jeyran-av-Levia, or in Haevar, the Hollow Bay. The Crimson are more adept at swimming than flight, positioning their wings as a sort of dorsal fin. On land, they are slower but sturdier compared to rival tribes. *'Comments': ::Hale: "I'm familiar with them. They are... unforgiving." ::Draken: "Huh, there was a messenger we knew called the 'Red Robin', but he was probably one of the only kinda cool ones. They kept taking our land, but whatever, we still have the Starlit Village!" Crested: So named due to their colourful skin flaps, which are used in communication. Most of them have dispersed and mingled with other tribes. *'Example:' None known *'Comments': ::Hale: "I've never met any personally, but I think my father has. They got hit pretty hard by disease and the war." ::Draken: "I had a Crested friend when I was a kid! Our tribes got along well, even though scales are way better than crests." Pygmy: An unusual tribe of Drakenaer, being both diminutive and possessing a protective layer of hair rather than scales. *'Example:' None known *'Comments': ::Hale: "I'm not actually sure they still exist. I've only heard of them listed in the traditional descriptions of the creation of the Drakenaer tribes." ::Draken: "Pygmies? Aren't they a fairytale for kids?" Winglord: The only tribe capable of true flight, with several adaptations to facilitate this: a wingspan greater than twice their height, more delicate build, and a shorter, flattened tail that acts as a rudder. Before the wars with Humes, they were nomads and messengers, but most have settled into small family villages now. *'Example:' None known *'Comments': ::Draken: "I met a few when I was a kid. They're so snooty." ::Hale: "They feature heavily in the religious texts and tend to be more inclined towards religion even now. Several would visit my village every year as pilgrims." Camouflaged *'Example:' Kayle Chamlett *'Comments': ::Draken: ::Hale: Experiment and Observation Log Initial experiments= ''Subject: Calderone Hale, Ornamented Drakenaer'' ''Interviewer: Shirayuri Konohana'' ''Observer: Iae Kallinar'' ---- Request: ''SK: "Would you be able to demonstrate flight for us?" Response: Hale gestured for us to follow him to the top floor of the Library of Ithil, then leapt over the balcony. His wings flared out as he did, in a motion much like a hawk arresting its fall. He landed with surprising lightness on the ground floor, several metres from the balcony. ---- Request: At Hale's suggestion, we moved outside to better demonstrate flight. Response: We ventured to an area of dunes made of ash and climbed the tallest one we could find. Hale explained that he would usually attempt this only with the presence of updrafts or a strong headwind, but he would try his best with only the slope to aid him. He began to charge down the slope in powerful bounds, leaning forward until his body was almost horizontal to the ground, his wings beating frenetically. He leapt, and I feared he would fall, yet somehow his leap transformed into a glide. He sailed gracefully down the rest of the dune to land on all four limbs. ---- Request: ''SK: "I understand you have some magical ability..."'' Response: Hale conjured a tiny storm of ice, like a blizzard confined to the palm of his hand. He noted, however, that this was an ability that was restricted only to his line. ---- Request: ''SK: "What sort of food do Drakenaer eat?" Response: Drakenaer appear to be omnivorous, though Hale said that some races preferred to eat more meat. Drakenaer in his village were limited by their mountainous habitat, and therefore had a diet that heavily featured river fish, goat, buckwheat and root vegetables. :''Hale: "But in less tense times, we could trade with the Humes below for food we couldn't grow." :''SK: "Do you like human cooking?" :Hale moved the tip of his tail in an small, circular motion. I have noticed that he has done this a number of times, and have surmised that this gesture indicates embarrassment. :''Hale: "Drakenaer...aren't very good at baking. Humes make nice scones." At this point, I suggested we take a break. I walked back to the Library, saying that I would be gone for a few hours, but Hale and SK decided they would rest out in the open instead. ---- Request: ''SK: "We're interested in examining your tail strength. Do you think you'd be able to hang upside-down from this tree branch with it?"'' Response: :''Hale: "...that branch is almost certainly going to break." :''SK: "But could you?" :''Hale: "About as well as you could walk on your hands." :''SK: "Oh." ---- Request: ''SK: Could we have a look at that shield of yours? It seems to be connected to your magical ability, so perhaps it would better allow us to identify the nature of...Drakenaer...magic..."'' Response: Hale delivered a glare that could be described variously as "frosty", "icy", "glacial" and "like standing in a blizzard naked". Request denied. SK appeared to wilt under said gaze. :''SK: "Um...maybe not."'' :''Hale: "...you may look."'' SK proceeded to observe. From a distance. ---- Request: ''SK: "If your tail falls off, will it regrow like a lizard's?"'' Response: Hale indicated that he would like to finish for the day. I brought out the scones I had baked earlier. Hale and I commiserated over the distressing lack of butter in Sundry. |-| Samples= ''Subject: Calderone Hale, Ornamented Drakenaer'' ''Interviewer: Shirayuri Konohana'' ''Observer: Iae Kallinar'' ---- ''Request: SK: "Would it be possible to obtain a scale from you to study?"'' ''Response: Hale: "...please ask Draken instead."'' ---- IK indicated that she felt she was better equipped to handle the next part. Thus, we have alternated roles. ---- ''Subject: Draken Silverius, Starlit Drakenaer'' ''Interviewer: Iae Kallinar'' ''Observer: Shirayuri Konohana'' ''Request: IK approached the subject with a request for a scale sample. ''Response: :''IK: "Excuse me. Are you Draken Silverius, by any chance?" :''Draken: "Whoa- what? Did someone tell you about me? Whatever it was, it was probably Ruriko's fault!" :''IK: "You are! I knew I couldn't be mistaken. You're exactly how you were described to me." :''Draken: "...I'm known?'' :Subject preened slightly in appreciation. Light and colour rippled across his scales, though I was unable to determine if this was the result of practiced physical movement or a magical effect. :''IK: "Your scales truly would be worthy of an art piece." :''Draken: "They already are in a work of art." :Subject's smile also appears to gleam. I recommend further investigation into whether his teeth have a similar construction to his scales, or whether it is an effect that he has contrived. :''IK: "Oh, but I'd so love to do them justice...I could set it in a pendant- no! A circlet! I've always thought white gold off-sets an opalescent effect perfectly." :''Draken: "Ooooh yeah. You sure know a lot about gems, little lady." :''IK: "Ah, you flatter me. I've never worked with something like your scales before. I'd need to experiment a bit before I could make it work." :Draken's smile broadened, allowing me to examine his teeth with relative ease despite the distance. Teeth were consistent with an omnivorous diet and largely resembled human dentition, with the exception of the presence of at least one set of carnassials, and slightly longer canines. :''Draken: "Hey now, you didn't have to trick me like that. If you're a fan who wants a scale, you just had to say so. I always have time for my fans." :''IK: "Would you be so kind? It's for science." :''Draken: "Of course I'll give my loyal fan a souvenir! You'll treasure it always, won't you?" :As an aside, this observer notes that IK has been nodding in an increasingly entranced manner during the conversation. :''IK: "Y-yes..." :''Draken: "And if you ever want a few more to make that crown you mentioned, go ahead and ask for more! Assuming you let me wear it, of course." :''IK: "Sure. I'll let Hale know when I start working on it." :''Draken: "...Hale was the one who told you about me." |-| Memos between Shirayuri and Iae= Dear Ms Kallinar, ''Hale has told me something very interesting. Apparently there exist human-Drakenaer hybrids! I am wondering now whether they are not so much a separate species, as humans who have been magically modified in some way. What do you think? ''Yours sincerely, ''Shirayuri Konohana ---- Shirayuri, ''That's certainly interesting in terms of observations of their hybrid abilities and physiology, but I don't follow the logic in your last line. Could you explain to me? ''— Iae ---- Dear Ms Kallinar, ''Species so separate should not be able to breed and produce viable offspring. This is fascinating! Yours sincerely, ''Shirayuri Konohana ---- Shirayuri, ''I think not necessarily, depending on the world. My wife has scales and tentacles, and our daughter is a catperson. ''— Iae ---- Your wife and daughter ''what??? — Shirayuri |-| Acknowledgement The Luminous Society would like to thank Calderone Hale and Draken Silverius for their kind cooperation in accumulating this knowledge. Category:Luminous Society